Ruto warned of the Coast MPS

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Raila Odinga’s allies in the Opposition and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho have told off  Deputy President William Ruto to be wary of the Coast MPs coalescing around him.

This came after three coast MPs including Mr Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe), Ms Mishi Mboko (Likoni) and Mr Teddy Mwambire (Ganze), who promised to stand and support DP Ruto. The MPs who have declared their support for him lack grassroots support and are only interested in his money.

According to Mishi Mboko, “They are accompanying the DP for their own selfish benefit. They are milking him dry and then they will return home. In all these political schemes, the biggest casualty will be the DP in 2022. Coast people are still intact in ODM and they listen only to Mr Odinga and Mr Joho.”

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The MPs downplayed Mr Ruto’s tour of the Coast last week during which he was accompanied by his new-found allies, led by Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa and her Msambweni counterpart Suleiman Dori.

During all the rallies Mr Ruto held, the MPs re-affirmed their support for his 2022 presidential candidature and told Mr Odinga to forget about the region’s votes.

Those who have shifted loyalty to Mr Ruto include Dori, Jumwa, Badi Twalib, Mohamed Ali, Ali Mbogo, Kassim Tandaza, Ken Chonga, Jones Mlolwa and Danson Mwashako.

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Mr Odinga’s party, in response to the defections, has threatened to take disciplinary action against Mr Dori and Ms Jumwa.

Ms Jumwa has since clarified that she has not parted ways with Mr Odinga and that they are in constant contact.

Speaking separately on Saturday, the pro-Odinga MPs told Mr Ruto that the Dori-Jumwa group will abandon him at the last minute and troop back to ODM to secure their seats come 2022 general election.

They spoke as elders from the six coast counties defended Mr Odinga and Mr Joho against attacks by the pro-Ruto group.

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The elders were represented by Mr Ibrahim Langalia (Taita Taveta), Mr Ali Said (Tana River), Mr Juma Fimbo (Kilifi), Mr Mohamed Issa (Lamu), Mr Mohamed Kutsetsera (Kwale) and Mr Ali Faranga (Mombasa).

Under the banner ‘Sauti ya Wazee wa Pwani’, the elders said Mr Joho is a national figure who deserves respect.

Separately, coast politician Hassan Chitembe also told off legislators opposing Mr Odinga and Mr Joho.

Ms Mboko said the rebellion by the pro-Ruto group is not new, naming a number of former MPs who quit ODM in the run-up to the 2017 election only to lose their seats.

“There were times when Mr Gideon Mung’aro, Mr Dan Kazungu, Mr Mustapha Iddi and Ms Aisha Jumwa rebelled against Mr Odinga. They talked ill of him and the party in general. But when things started going asunder, Ms Jumwa sought solace in the party,” Ms Mboko said.

“If they think they have grassroots support, let them resign now and vie on the other side in a by-election. That is when we shall know if what they are telling the DP is true. The coast political ground has not changed and they must know that,” she added.

Mr Mwinyi said the leaders purporting that Mr Odinga has no votes at the coast are only saying so to please the DP.

“They should not lie that their voice represents the coast region. Saying ‘I support the DP’ is different from alleging ‘wananchi wameamua,”‘ the Changamwe MP said.

“It is proper to declare support for a certain leader in 2022, but there is no guarantee that those who voted for you will back your preferred candidate,” he added.

Mr Mwambire, on his part, wondered why the pro-Ruto MPs did not defect to Jubilee Party before the last elections.

“They contested on Mr Odinga’s party. Why didn’t they use the DP’s party? Those leaders are not sincere and are wasting time. They are going there to get money but there are no votes for Mr Ruto at the coast,” he observed.

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